The Proposition

Such a smart, funny, romantic book! Love her writing.

What characters could be more diverse than Edwina Bollash, a prim, impoverished spinster linguist and Mick, the handsome Cockney ratcatcher? Set in Victorian London, this romance is a retelling of old tales, a mixture of "Cinderella" and "Pygmalion." Winnie, who has been disinherited by her Scrooge-like cousin, takes on a bet to transform Mick into a perfect British peer in six weeks time. While trying to concentrate on rounding his vowels and sprucing up his appearance, she becomes increasingly aware of his fun-loving personality and his impressive physique. Mick sees a selfconcious innocent, who is unaware of her physical beauty. Sexual tension crackles page after page as the protagionists are attracted like magnets to each other. Ms. Ivory has written a beautiful story, one even better then her previous works, "Beast" and "Sleeping Beauty." I loved this book! I cared about the characters and loved them at the end as much as they loved each other. They were meant to be together; they complemented and completed each other. Brava, Ms. Ivory! I'll wait impatiently for your next Victorian fairytale!

Judith Ivory is one of the few authors who has yet to disappoint. Again, she takes a well-known story and updates it to a more contemporary time period. This book, which takes place in Victorian England when grammophones and electricity were starting to make their appearance, has its roots in Pygmalion. The hero, Mick, and the heroine, Winnie, are two of the most delightful H/H I have encountered in romantic literature. He's the gorgeous, cockney ratcatcher completely besotted with Winnie who views herself as plain and even unattractive. Every bad quality she sees in herself; Mick sees as one more reason he just has to have her. The story, while an old tale that is retold, felt very fresh to me and I never pulled for two people to find a way to make it work than I did for Winnie and Mick. How Ms. Ivory made it work was somewhat disappointing. Perhaps a little more time invested at the end of the book to make it work would have helped. At any rate, I loved this story enough to overlook a somewhat weak ending.

This is a terrific book with one of the best romantic heroes any of us have seen in years! It's funny and touching and very sexy. Once you start you won't want to put it down. Miss this one at your own peril!

I've been a Judith Ivory/Judy Cuevas fan for a long time, and I have to say "The Proposition" is one of her best. In a delightful variation on the "My Fair Lady" theme, Ivory gives us rat catcher as a hero. And, oh, what a lovable rat catcher he is! Mick enjoys life to the fullest. He's proud to be a working man. He and his collection of dogs and ferrets are hell-on-wheels at rat-catching, much to the delight of those in need of their services. From the first raucous scene, there's side-splitting humor, heart-mending sweetness, heart-pounding sensuality. The chemistry between Mick and Winnie--the tutor charged with turning him into a "gentleman"--is delicious, and the way Ivory handles the linguistics aspect of the story is masterful. It's a fabulous feel-good story--perfect for holiday reading!

The Proposition is my first Judith Ivory novel and I am sooooooo impressed! I read all the great reviews regarding this book and when I got my hands on this book, I couldn't put it down! True to the reviews, this book has great plot, great characters and a great ending! Loved Mick and Winnie's story and I laughed so much! And there were many poignant moments, as well! The sexual chemitry between the two were strong and powerful... I just couldn't get enough of the two!Mick, even when he was "unpolished" was sexy and totally charming! My heart just went out to him! As for Winne, she was not the typical romance heroine but strong and individual and beautiful in her own way. I just like Winne so much! After I finished the book, I had to flip through it again to savor the "good" parts. If you're thinking about getting this book, don't wait- GO GET IT NOW!